Eyes Wide Open
by Impossible-Dreamer
Summary: As a senior in high school, Miranda and Gordo 'open their eyes'.
1. Prologue - Gordo Speaks

**Author: **Impossible-Dreamer   
**Rating:** PG-13   
**Summary: **As a senior in high school, Miranda and Gordo 'open their eyes'.   
**Disclaimer:** None of the characters in this story belong to me, this is all fiction, thank you very much. 

*******   
**Eyes Wide Open**

*******

**Love.**

One of the biggest clichés in the book, but also the most talked about subject in our adolescent lives, especially when you're best friends with two girls. Especially girls like Miranda Sanchez and Lizzie McGuire. Now don't get me wrong, they're the best. I've known them since forever (and there's another cliché, saying you've known someone forever, it seems everyone says that, it's just as common as 'I'm bored' or 'hey there', that sort of thing) and they really are the coolest people I know. It's like Three's Company. Well in a way, not that I'm even old enough to be living on my own, and even if I was to move in with Lizzie and Miranda, I would never be close to acting as the cheesy, overacting male roommate who everyone finds funny, but in reality is just as flat as a board. (Another cliché and also a verbal comparison and symbolization, like ... scared like a chicken ... which has always disturbed me, how do we know chickens are scared? Because there is some lame joke about a chicken being too scared to cross the road? Well do you know for a fact that this hereby chicken was scared? Or that curiosity really tried to kill the cat? Maybe it was the dog. Dogs tend to try to kill cats you know.) Moving on from my rant, love or this so-called romanticism of life always finds a way to sneakily put itself in a conversation, almost every conversation with me, Miranda and Lizzie. And boy if you have ever heard Lizzie McGuire talk, you would realize how she can go on and on and on about one *single* thing without getting bored or tired. Now again, don't get me wrong, I love Lizzie. Liz. Elizabeth. The list goes on, she's my best friend in this world. She knows me inside and out, she knows all of my little quirks, as I know hers. She was the first un-inanimate person I taped on my first discoverings of my dream to be a director (the first thing I ever taped would be Lizzie's stuffed pig, I gave the film 'the story of a stuffed pig' three stars, mind you), Lizzie McGuire is my Joey Potter and I'm her Dawson Leery, but of course without the romantic implications. 

Oddly enough, I could never think of Lizzie as a specimen for romance. I love Lizzie yes, but no, not that sort of love. Knowing Lizzie, she would probably take offense to this even though she feels the same way, she would ask me what was wrong with her. Nothing is wrong with Lizzie, she's perfect in every way and any guy would be one lucky person to have her as their girlfriend, but I can't see Lizzie in that way. Maybe it was all her ongoings about Ethan Craft or the fact that I've known her since we were little babies in diapers, drooling and talking in a special language no one else knew, or even cared to understand. Maybe it's the fact that our families have been wishing on some non-existent star, probably the same star that cricket in "Pinnochio" sang about, for us to get together and fall in love. Our families, despite they never would ever tell us, have always hoped when the time came for romance, that nice little cupid would hit us with his wonderful arrows. (And you know what makes me smirk, right now? Well the gritty truth, based on every book on Gods of Ancient Greece, Cupid actually wasn't some nice little baby, flying around with his dainty little arrows, just hoping to help two lost souls find love. Cupid was actually a very sadistic little God from what I have read; he strikes people with his arrows, just so he could torment them, and this so-called love they would feel ... obsession. Isn't that just the cutest little story you have ever heard? Yeah, definitely food for thought.) And there have been real moments where me and Lizzie could actually cross that line, (that platonic line of friendship) and turn into more than just friends, and illogically we never really could force ourselves to do it, or at least I couldn't. Love ruins friendship, plain and simple. **I.E.: **Dawson's Creek. 

Joey and Dawson. Let's look at them long and hard, shall we? They used to be the best of friends, they could share anything together, they were ultimately like me and Lizzie. And then somewhere along the road, their friendship got completely ruined, and now they can't even communicate like they used to. And what was the cause of this uproar and destruction of their friendship? Love. Yep, they were the best of friends, but then they fell into a relationship and everything was ruined. Hmm, shall we analyze another pair of characters in a television show? Okay, let's take Joey and Rachel off of "Friends" for example. Despite the fact that Rachel has no idea that Joey feels anything for her, let's think about the outcome of this little romance would go. This would ultimately put a weird awkwardness between Joey and Ross, who are the best of friends, and Ross whom obviously still loves Rachel, would be upset at this, and let's remember Rachel lives with Ross, and Ross is the father of Rachel's baby. Yeah, that wouldn't be complicated. And how do we know Rachel feels the same way? And if she does, how would their friendship be after the inevitable break-up? It took forever and a day for Ross and Rachel to ever be "just friends" and as evidence says, they still aren't. Or hmm, how about Buffy and Angel? Now there is a story of woe and heartache. Dylan and Brenda? Felicity and Noel? The list goes on. Romance eventually screws up every friendship or non-friendship we have, it's been proven my friends. 

And yet, _my _two best friends find it the most interesting thing to talk about. 

_Oh do you know who Ethan likes now?_

_Oh no way, they don't even fit!_

_They kiss like they're siblings._

_Eww, that's so gross, but you're right! Can they be any less compatible?_

_I don't think so._

That's a typical conversation. Miranda and Lizzie finds love interesting, they want to talk about it all the time, they want to gush about it, even be sing-songy about it. And me? Who am I in this whole gushing love fest? Frankly, I don't know. I've had a girlfriend or two, yes, but never long enough to feel love. And I'm not sure if I want to feel it, in all consideration. Love is not all candy and roses, I've seen it break people in two, and yet we're supposed to sit around and cherish it? We even have a holiday for it. I'm not all up on this whole 'love' thing. I'm sure once I find the right person and all, I should be all smiles and hugs when the word 'love' enters a conversation. But I have yet to feeling that emotion. My mom says it's because I have yet to find the right girl, and then she does that whole winking thing whenever Lizzie enters a room. My dad says, love comes from unexpected places. Lizzie's mom and dad tell me the right girl is right under my nose, I just have to look, again the winking thing when Lizzie comes around. The only people that have ever gave me some good advice, would be Miranda's mom and dad. They told me love is not for all of us, and if we are ever to find love then we should take it in but not get drunk on it like some people, and what does Miranda do? She just grins and passes the cookies or whatever else we're eating when her mom and dad get on their whole, knowing mode. 

Don't get drunk on it. 

I'm sure I can handle that. I'm not that eager to feel love for the first time. When it comes, it comes, but before that, I'm not going to beg for it. There's the heartache, tears, and all that other painful stuff, and I'm not ready to get my heart broken. Am I being cynical here? Probably. It seems like Lizzie and Miranda are the more illogical, non-pratical part of the group and me ... well I'm the more logical one, who has lately grown a cynical side to myself. I guess when I was younger, I could be just as non-pratical as Lizzie and Miranda, especially in junior high, but enter high school, everything is different. And as a senior in high school I can say I survived it with flying colors and only have a year to go, and yes have yet to find love. Although Lizzie and Miranda swore they have found it. Lizzie said she found it with this foreign exchange student from France with the "cutest and sexiest accent" she has ever heard, plus as she puts it: "speaking another language is so awesome". Miranda said she found it with Trevor, actually a friend of mine, who thinks he's cool because he plays guitar, he was as Miranda put it: "The coolest". Trevor and the foreign exchange student eventually went from total "fab" into total "dud" when they broke up with Miranda and Lizzie, breaking their hearts. 

I, was of course, the guy they went to for a shoulder to cry on. I'm not cynical of that, really I'm not. It's the fact for seventeen years of my life, I'm still the guy they come to for the shoulder to cry on, or to gush about their romantic life, and yeah, you know what? It DOES bother me. Trevor says, it's because Miranda and Lizzie have known me so long, and it's not possible for them to see me as anything else but the best friend, "one of the girls", and of course he says this in the nicest possible way, or so I hope. And how have my experiences with girls been? The word "eh" sums it up. I've had girlfriends, but nothing really serious. Although Trevor says the last girl I went out with should have been the "one". My last girlfriend was indeed special. 

Carly Johnson. Long black hair, streaked blue, two piercings in each ear, she is known as alternative. Beautiful. Funny. Knew how to ride a skateboard like anyone else. So what was wrong with it? Why didn't we stick together? I frankly don't know. Carly was perfect, the odd thing was ... she reminded way too much of Miranda, and yet I was so close in actually falling in the "L" word with her. For some reason we broke up, I broke up with her, she moved on quickly, I moped for weeks at a time. 

Ah, the life of a seventeen year old. 

"In life there is heartache, but luckily for you, there are your friends to cheer you up." - Miranda Sanchez. 

Miranda said that to me on the night after my break-up with Carly, Lizzie was currently off drooling over Andrew "I'm so cool" Martin, and Miranda had been the person there for me. I guess, I will always look up to Miranda for that day, because just when I thought I couldn't ever be happy again (that was how much I liked Carly), Miranda showed up and made me smile. I guess that's Miranda for you. In the last year of junior high me and Miranda seemed to grow closer. She became my best friend. Before we both had been Lizzie's best friends, and that is what sort of held us together, but it seemed in the last year of junior high we formed a bond of our own. And it was times like my sadness over the break-up of me and Carly, I realize ... Miranda is great. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I have always known this. 

Whether it's Miranda singing me this new song she wrote, or her eagerly wanting to be in one of my documentaries, I have known that deep down, she is great. I'm not talking about romance here, so get your minds out of the gutter. I have a connection with Miranda, one that is deeply woven into my soul. We are on the same wave length. In my roughest moments in life, I have always been able to count on Miranda, especially in this past year. She was there for me during the whole Carly thing, and I have been there for her doing the whole Trevor ordeal. And we were there for each other through everything else. 

I still love Lizzie like nothing else, she will always be my best friend ... always. It's just now, I know I can call Miranda that as well. It's weird. Because Lizzie, is hardly around anymore. She's on her "mission of love" as she calls it. Lizzie has promised me and Miranda that she is going to find the love of her life before senior year is over, which causes her to be away a lot, and has also given me and Miranda a lot of time to get to know each other. This time with Miranda has helped me. 

But this piques my interest. 

I suddenly remember what Lizzie's mom and dad told me one day, in the first year of junior high. 

"Gordo, love is something special, it lures you in with it's song. Love has it's own song, one that only _your _ears are intended to hear, and when you hear this song, you're going to fall madly in love with it and whoever is playing that song. And believe me, that special girl who is playing your song of love, is just beneath your nose, you just have to look for her." - Mrs. McGuire 

"Looking for the right girl will be easier, once you open your eyes." - Mr. McGuire 

Of course, they were talking about Lizzie when they told me all this. Of course, they would never admit this if one was to ask them; That's the McGuires for you, they try to act like they don't mean anything, but in reality, they always do. 

But just thinking about it ... 'looking for the right girl will be easier, once you open your eyes'. What does that mean? I have my eyes open. I always have my eyes open. I'm the logical, practical sort of guy, who always has his eyes open. I'm the guy with direction. The one Lizzie and Miranda go to for a shoulder to cry on. I'm the guy who has always had one dream, to be a director. I'm the guy you can count on when the times get rough. I'm the guy that went all the way to New York when Miranda had her first paying "gig" (I guess, you can say that) and cheered her the whole time. I'm the guy who pretended to be Lizzie's boyfriend time and time again, so it could peak the jealousy of her current crushes. I'm everyone's best friend. The guy who encouraged Miranda to tell Trevor to stick it where the sun don't shine, even though Trevor is one of my best friends. My eyes are completely open. 

*sighs* 

I don't get the McGuires sometimes, just the way they say stuff, like they're dancing around their words. And the oddest thing about it is, that some things they say, you don't think about until like four years later, and when you finally do think about them, it drives you insane because you have no idea what they meant in the first place. Sort of like Lizzie in a way. Some things that come out of Lizzie's mouth can really send you up a wall. Make you think for hours at a time, think until you feel as if your head is going to explode, and then it's like, why were you spending all this time thinking about something you already know the answer to? Yeah, that is exactly how the McGuires are, all of them, except maybe Matt. Now Matt, says what he means and nothing else. 

And you know, this could be me rambling. 

I think it is. 

*thinks for a moment, before nodding to himself* 

Yep, it's a ramble, go me. 

See, I tend to do this a lot. Carly used to say I thought too much, because we would be on a date, and I would seemingly just blank. She said I would just stare off, my eyes glazing over in a preoccupied gaze. Yeah, I guess I think a lot. It's one of my favorite pastimes. It's like ducking out of reality and getting lost in my own thoughts, thoughts no one else can get a hold of, because they are all mine. I think that was one of my traits Carly hated. My tendency to think way too much, blank out like I do. It's not like I try to annoy people by just blanking out, it's just something I do. I think. Y'know, I have a big brain. Heh. Lizzie said that to me once. I have a big brain. You can't say I have a big head, because that would make me an egomaniac, much like Ethan Craft. But by saying I have a big brain is a compliment, I'm smart. Go me. I'm the smart guy. Go team go. 

The smart guy. 

Oh great, here goes my cynical rant. 

I hate being the smart guy. You have one actual smart thought and you are branded as the smart guy for life. And believe me, the smart guy doesn't get all the girls, or is the most popular guy around. That doesn't really mean anything to me. I'm not superficial. I don't even really hang out with popular people, well Trevor being the huge exception, and of course Lizzie. Lizzie is popular, even though she says she's not. And Miranda, her rebel attitude, makes her very popular. But me ... nah, I'm not popular. I have my flights with popularity, I get a girlfriend once in a while, and Trevor thinks I'm cool, so that makes me likable. But I will always be known as the smart guy. The guy who is just "friends" with Miranda Sanchez and Lizzie McGuire. The guy who was stupid enough to dump Carly Johnson when it was obvious she had a HUGE interest in me. I'm never the guy someone falls head over heels in love with. 

*sighs* 

It all comes down to love. 

I don't like fretting over love, actually I tend to think I'm not that big on it, but in reality, in the deep recesses of my mind, I want to be loved. I'm talking about someone looking at me one day and saying 'oh crap, why didn't I see how great he was before?'. I want all that. And here is the big thing ... I want my 'special' someone, to be someone I've known for a while, someone who can appreciate who I really am, and someone I can appreciate who she really is. And Lizzie and Miranda are the only people I know like that. And I know that I don't like them like that ... at least I know a 100 percent sure I don't feel like for Lizzie. 

And Miranda ... well Miranda is Miranda. 

That sums it up, doesn't it? 

Gah. I've thought way too much ... this is David Gordon signing out.   



	2. Doubts In Friendship

**Author: **Impossible-Dreamer   
**Rating:** PG-13   
**Summary: **As a senior in high school, Miranda and Gordo 'open their eyes'.   
**Disclaimer:** None of the characters in this story belong to me, this is all fiction, thank you very much. 

*******   
**Eyes Wide Open**

******* __

Gordo sat comfortably on the freshly cut grass, his legs crossed indian style, his deep eyes narrowed down at the notepad, the blue ball pin, twirling around in his fingers, a low hum in his voice. His short hair, I guess you could say it had a curl or two was neatly hidden under a black beanie he was wearing, he stopped his humming for a moment, to gently bite on the edge of the pen as he examined the notepad. The text flowed evenly, each word holding a meaning of it's own. Standing out in a crowd. Yeah, inventive writing was definitely his thing, he could just let go in writing, much like directing. When Lizzie and Miranda went for the Drama class, he eagerly went straight to inventive writing, and no it wasn't because Carly Johnson was in it. This was of course, before his break-up with Carly, but just to set the records straight, he did NOT join inventive writing because of her. _Did so, _Gordo's little annoying voice piped up. Gordo snorted, and began scribbling back in the notepad, ignoring the rest of the world. 

There were loud chattering from each direction, and he seemed to be sitting in the middle of it, although you would never guess he knew by the way he seemed to only see the white notepad and the plastic pen. A football flew across the lawn and landed in Gordo's lap. Gordo let out a sigh, grabbing the football and throwing it hard right back at the tall young man. The man gave Gordo a look of interest before going back to his game of football, and Gordo not even acknowledging the look went back to his notepad. Gordo, with his free hand, his left hand, scratched right above his eyebrow, his fingers coming in contact with the soft fabric of the beanie, but never messing the routine Gordo seemed to be on. Self-concentration, that was his thing. Gordo could be in the center of the loudest party to ever hit and he could act like he wasn't even there, he could just blank out or do one *single* thing and nothing else seemed to matter to him. Trevor once said it was freaky, meanwhile Carly had said it was cool. Cool, freaky ... that was David Gordon. Although, don't you ever call him that. He was plain Gordo, it was that simple, and everybody remembered it. 

"Hi." Came the soft sounding voice of Miranda Sanchez, the softness also held an edge to it, much like Miranda. 

"Hola." Gordo said, raising a hand up to wave at her, then going back down to his notepad. Gordo bit down on the skin of his bottom lip, a bit too hard, because a pain shot through his body. Gordo nevertheless scribbled more words down on the notepad, not yet looking up at Miranda, who had by now sat down next to him on the grass. "I dropped Spanish." Gordo announced. 

"And yet you greet me in Spanish." Miranda said, quirking up an eyebrow. 

"Yeah." Gordo said, a little distant, as he continued to write, his hands moving quickly. 

"Whatcha writing?" Miranda asked, flopping herself around on the grass, until she landed on her stomach, making a whooshing sound. "Hmm?" She pressured, knowinng if she didn't, Gordo would just continue being in his own little world. 

"I don't quite know." Gordo said, trailing off a bit. 

"Hmm, read it." Miranda said, pulling out a piece of gum and popping it in her mouth, she then offered Gordo one. 

Gordo nicely refused the offer of gum; he stopped writing and picked up the notepad and eyed it, before clearing his throat. "Love. What is love? Is it a rose without the thorns to prick you? Or is love those thorns, taunting you, saying you will never feel the beauty of the rose? Is love a friend? Or maybe family? Or is love that feeling we tremble in fear? Or is it anticipation? Is love me? Or is love you? Or is love that guy across the lawn, we never talk to? Is love what we hold inside? Or is love what we never find?" Gordo put the notepad down, and then reached up and yanked the beanie off, he rubbed his hair timidly, the look of confusion etched across his face like a piece of art, something you just want to touch, to know you've felt the beauty and smooth texture of it. 

"I like." Miranda said, staring at Gordo. His dark strands of his hair were now a bit messy because of his rubbing it. She cocked her head to the side lightly, staring at the way Gordo's face was contorted in a confused state. It made him look like one of those drama guys, who sat there and drank their coffee and mused about the analyzation of the universe, except Gordo was way better looking. Of course Miranda meant this in the platonic way, or so she would hope. "You in love Gordo?" Miranda asked. 

"Nope, love hates me." Gordo said, falling back on the grass, his legs unwraveling. "For I am the geek you all fear." 

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Where's Trevor?" Miranda asked. 

"You still hung up over him?" Gordo asked, finally lifting his head to look at Miranda. Her raven colored hair was in a bun, streaks of hot red laying loosely out of the bun and leaning against her face perfectly. She had a black and blue beaded necklace laying comfortably around her neck, and she wore a plain black v-neck shirt and camaflouge cargo pants. Gordo smirked and flung his head back down, it landing on the grass, making a whooshing thud sound, once his hair came in contact with the grass. 

"No." Miranda snapped. 

"Sure." 

"I'm not!" Miranda screeched. "What about you? Hmm, still moping over little miss Carly?" Miranda bit down on her lip, once the words came out of her mouth, words she never meant to say. She just hated when Gordo accused of her still being in "love" with Trevor. She hated Trevor, because he was just an egostical guitar playing jerk, and it always caused her to snap at Gordo. 

Gordo just made a noise. 

"I'm sorry." Miranda said, crawling over to where Gordo was laying down. "Want a piece of gum?" 

Gordo was silent for a few seconds, before flipping over on his side, facing Miranda. "What flavor?" He asked, smiling. He brought up his hand and it darted across the grass and touched Miranda's wrist, it then found it's way to the friendship bracelet she wore. His fingers seemed to interwoven in the bracelet, his own wrist, showing off a bracelet exactly the same. They had made them last week, just for the fun of it, something they now didn't go anywhere without. They were the bracelet twins. 

"Cherry." Miranda answered, toying with Gordo's bracelet. "I'm not, you know. Hung up over Trevor." 

"I like cherry." Gordo answered, he stopped playing with Miranda's bracelet and let his hand drop down to the grass. "I know." Gordo said, looking Miranda in the eyes. "He was never good enough for you, you know that right?" Gordo asked gently. 

"I know this." Miranda said, handing Gordo the piece of gum. "Like Carly wasn't good enough for you." 

"Carly was perfect." Gordo said quickly, grabbing the gum and popping it in his mouth. "Where's Liz?" Gordo asked. 

"Hmm," Miranda said, looking around the school yard. "I'm not quite sure. Still on her mission of love, you know Lizzie. Once she has something in her head, she's not going to stop it, until she has it done. And like she told us, she is determined by the end of senior year, she will have found the love of her life." Miranda said, staring at Gordo. "Y'know Lizzie." 

"Yeah, I do, as you do." Gordo said, shrugging. "Love, it all boils down to that doesn't it? Can't life be about something besides that? Why does it always have to be about love? Why not friendship? Or family? Or something besides love?" Gordo asked. 

"I don't know." Miranda said, shrugging as well. "Love is in everything. Even friendship, you know." 

"All is fair in love and war." Gordo spouted out a quote. 

"All you need is love." Miranda spouted one out at as well, grinning at Gordo. 

"Ooh Beatles quote, you got me." Gordo said, raising his hands in defeat. "I like that song." 

"I like 'imagine' by John Lennon." Miranda commented. 

"Good song." Gordo mused. "John Lennon is STILL missed and forever will be." Gordo said, kicking at some grass. "Don't you miss it Miranda? Me, you and Liz? All hanging out? Just the three of us. Don't you miss it? Don't you feel sort of empty without it? I do. I miss it. I feel sort of empty without it. I didn't think entering high school would change us this drastically." 

"Gordo ... " Miranda started, her voice holding an edge to it. "You know the only reason Lizzie is not around much because of this whole stupid mission thing she has her mind set on. We're all still best friends. We hang out with each other every day after school. Nothing is going to change the way we feel about each other, not even high school." Miranda said in a demanding voice. 

"She wasn't there for me when me and Carly broke up." Gordo said, still lying down on the grass. 

"I was." Miranda said quickly. 

"I know, but she wasn't. I'm there for BOTH of you when you guys need me. But she wasn't there for me when I needed the both of you. Which brings me back to my original thought, I miss it. All three of us. And I'm not talking about some after school hang out, that makes me feel like I'm in some after school program. I'm talking about being together all the time, sharing thoughts, having three-way phone calls, eating together, communicating like we used to. We don't do that anymore. It sucks." Gordo replied. 

"Gordo." Miranda said again. 

"Dropping it." Gordo said, he grabbed his notepad and flinged in the air. 

"Don't make me speak in Spanish." Miranda said, looking sternly at Gordo. 

"I wouldn't understand it anyways Miranda, I was never good in that class." Gordo said, smirking. "No espanol for me." 

Miranda laughed. "What are you doing after school?" Miranda asked. 

"Nothing, you?" Gordo asked, raising up an eyebrow in questioning. 

"My cousin, Chico, it's his seventh birthday, I told him I would sing at the party. Wanna film it?" Miranda asked. 

"I'm there." Gordo said, crawling on his knees and then jumped up on his feet. He reached a hand down and pulled Miranda up, once she was up to her feet, Gordo grabbed the beanie and slipped it back on. Back in junior high Gordo never really liked beanies, he thought they never really gave his head time to breathe, but now he grew a fondness of them, he liked how they tightly fit, how it gave him a standing look to himself. Gordo dusted off his pants and grabbed the notepad and rolled it up and stuck it in his pocket, the pen slid inside his shirt pocket, and soon Gordo's eyes were alert as the school bell rang loudly. 

"Lunch is over." Miranda said, frowning. "I didn't even eat." 

"Me neither." Gordo said, as they began walking, side by side. "We can grab a bite after school, if you like." 

"Sounds good, what class of yours is next again?" Miranda asked. 

"Luckily, inventive writing." Gordo answered. "And you?" He asked in return. 

"Drama." Miranda answered. "See you during break, be good my good man." Miranda said, waving. 

"Yeah, yeah, see ya." Gordo said, waving as well; he pushed past some people and tried to make his way to inventive writing without getting pummeled down to the ground. Gordo entered the class-room and shoved himself down in a seat, he leaned in the desk and bit down on his lip, thoughtfully. Friendship. Best friends. They all just disappeared, didn't they? Perfect. 

*** 

"Do you ever think about where all those lost friendships go?" Gordo asked, eating a bag of chips he had bought out of the vending machine. "I mean, really. Where do they all go? Me, Lizzie and Miranda used to be like the three musketeers and now we're all so busy, to even hang out. It's a miracle me and Miranda spend as much as time as we do together." Gordo replied. 

Trevor straddled the chair, and looked at Gordo. "It's life. Things happen, friends grow apart." 

"Yeah, I guess." Gordo said, shrugging, popping another chip in his mouth. "You see the new guy Carly was with?" 

"Uh huh." Trevor nodded. "Ain't no Gordito." Trevor said, smirking. "You still hung up over her?" Trevor asked. 

"No, not really." Gordo answered, staring at the chips bag. "Do you regret breaking up with Miranda?" 

Trevor ran a hand over his face. "Gordo, don't go there man. I get you're her friend and mine, but let's not discuss it okay? Me and Miranda didn't work out, and if you opened your eyes once in a while Gordo, you would understand why it didn't work out. You would also understand why you and Carly didn't work out. Sometimes Gordo, that brain of yours doesn't think." Trevor stated. 

"I have no idea what you mean." Gordo insisted. 

"I know, but one day you will." Trevor said. "Then you'll be kicking yourself in the butt for not seeing it sooner." 

Gordo just grumbled and went back to eating the chips, shooting Trevor a look. 

*** 

"Can you drop P.E.?" Miranda asked, as her and Gordo piled out of the school, she hopped down the stairs, and then she watched Gordo walked down them in a calm state. That was Gordo all right, calm, always calm. Seeing him walking down the stairs slowly, his black beanie covering almost all of his hair, only a few strands popping out here and there, she really wondered why in the world girls weren't falling all over him. He was smart, funny, nice, and very cute. _*very* cute, _Miranda thought to herself, she then shook her at the mere thought. "Not like you in general, but like me." She said, trying to get rid of her thoughts. Gordo was her best friend, and that was all he was, even though the night of her break-up with Trevor, he had told her she was in love with Gordo. That was just idiotic, she wasn't in love with Gordo, she wasn't. Gordo was her best friend, her guy friend, nothing more, nothing less. 

"No, you can't." Gordo said, once he walked down the last stair. "It's a neccessity." 

"Ugh!" Miranda groaned, as her and Gordo began to walk again. "Are you sure about this? Can you maybe be wrong?" 

"I am never wrong." Gordo said, with a playful smirk. "Physical Education *has* to be taken, there is no way out of it. Believe me if there was, about a billion of students all around the world would be dropping PE, you have to get over it Miranda." 

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I'm obsessed, what can I say? Hey there's Lizzie!" Miranda said, excitedly. 

Gordo looked up and smiled when he saw Lizzie jogging up to them. "Lizzie, hey." Gordo said, smiling widely at his blonde friend. 

"Where are you two heading off to?" Lizzie asked, standing in front of Gordo and Miranda, stopping them from walking. 

"Food, then Chico's birthday party." Miranda answered, for some reason she kept stealing side glances at Gordo. What was wrong with her? This was Gordo. Best friend Gordo. But why in the world did that black beanie have to make him look so cute? He looked like a poet. One of those mopey, artistic, dark, poets that just make you melt with a verse or two of their magic. 

"Ah, yeah, I'm so there. The birthday I mean. I have something to do right now." Lizzie said, bouncing excitedly. 

"Ah, how goes the mission ma'am?" Gordo asked, wiggling his eyebrows, making Lizzie giggle. Gordo pulled out his video camera and began taping Lizzie. "Yes please tell the camera Lizzie, you may be my next star for my total fab movie." Gordo said, zooming the camera in and out. "How goes your little mission in love? Find your perfect soulmate yet?" Gordo asked humorously. 

Miranda stared at Gordo and just realized how cute he looked when he was all focused and behind a camera. _Gah, stop it! _Miranda screamed at herself, she would hold her head and literally scream, but that might bring attention to herself, and ... well no. 

"Good, very good." Lizzie grinned, as they all began to walk. "Charlie Peterson, tall, dark, and oh so cute!" Lizzie gushed, she then turned to the camera. "He has the cutest eyes, deep, meaningful, hello catch me, I'm falling." Lizzie said, laughing. 

"Ooh that good?" Miranda asked. 

"Yes, that good. He is so cute Miranda, and oh he has a brother! You and his brother would be so cute together!" Lizzie squealed. 

"Double date!" Miranda said, excitedly. 

"Totally!" Lizzie said, as her and Miranda got excited. "Wouldn't that be the coolest? You go out with one brother and I go out with the other and we of course share all the gossip with each other. Want to meet him with me?" Lizzie asked. 

"Oh of course --- " Suddenly Miranda stopped. "No, I can't. Me and Gordo are supposed to have lunch." 

Gordo sighed and shut off the camera and shoved it back into the camera case. "No, go Miranda." Gordo demanded. 

"Wait ... " Miranda started, knowing that look. Gordo was upset, upset with her. 

"Just go, I'll meet you two at Chico's birthday party." Gordo said, oddly upset with Miranda right now. Maybe not Miranda, but just the fact that she would ditch him to go meet a "guy", some cute "guy". Damn the cute guys. Gordo was NOT jealous. Repeat, not jealous, even though it may look like that. He WASN'T. Miranda could go hang out with whoever she wanted. 

"Well, Gordo, come along!" Lizzie said, smiling. 

Miranda winced; just knowing that the invitation wasn't going to make Gordo all that happy. Despite the fact that they were Gordo's best friends, she knew lately he didn't like the whole "being one of the girls" thing, she could see it painted all over his face. It was frustrating him, and sadly enough, Lizzie McGuire had no idea of this frustration Gordo had inside of him. 

"You know what, no thank you." Gordo said, re-adjusting his beanie. "Have fun." 

"Gordo ... " Miranda said, bringing up his hand. 

"See ya." Gordo said forcefully, and jogged away. Yeah Miranda could do whatever she wanted to do, it wasn't like he was in love with her. No way. They were just friends. Then why did it hurt that she was going to go meet a guy? 

"What's his deal?" Lizzie asked. 

Miranda sighed, and watched Gordo jog off and disappear around the corner. _Somehow, this is going to take a while to fix, _Miranda thought to herself, as she began to walk with Lizzie. Miranda knew Gordo always said he was cool with things, but meant another thing. And Miranda could see that this was another thing Gordo wasn't "cool" with. Ugh, did he have to look so cute all mopey and demanding like that? She didn't like him when he was being cute. This was wrong. Gordo was NOT cute! 

_Oh yes he is, _Miranda mused.   



	3. I Blame This All On You ... You Made Me ...

**Author:** Impossible-Dreamer   
**Rating:** PG-13   
**Summary:** As a senior in high school, Miranda and Gordo 'open their eyes'.   
**Disclaimer: **None of the characters in this story belong to me, this is all fiction, thank you very much. 

*******   
**Eyes Wide Open**

*******

Gordo stood among the crowd of Chico's birthday party and watched Miranda sing. Gordo adjusted the beanie he was wearing, which was about the only thing he changed, he went from the black beanie to a navy blue beanie, but everything else on him was the same. Gordo looked to the left and saw Lizzie looking at him, giving him one of her famous 'what's wrong?' looks. Gordo just waved it off, and went back to staring at Miranda. She was doing a cover on some Phil Collins songs, which miracously Chico adored. Gordo sighed and poured himself some punch, he brought the little dixie cup up to his lips and took a long sip. Why was he even here? He didn't even really like Chico, he was one of the more annoying cousins of Miranda's, and yet Gordo still came. Gordo was feeling bad, and yet he still came. Maybe Carly had been right a few weeks back. He was too soft. If he wanted to mope, he shouldn't have to fit it in everyone's scheldues. But of course Carly didn't have ties to any of her friends, she didn't care what they thought. That was the difference between Carly and Gordo; Gordo cared, he cared deeply, and that was one of his biggest problems. 

"Thank you," Miranda said, putting the microphone down, through the clapping, she eyed Gordo, who was clapping as well. Miranda bounced down the stairs and immediately went over to Gordo, she gave him a look. "Look about earlier ... " She started. 

"Great singing." Gordo cut her off. 

"What is wrong?" Miranda asked him. 

"Absolutely nothing." Gordo snapped. "I'm just complimenting you on your singing, you did a great job up there. And Chico's birthday party is going great. I got all the highlights on tape, do you want it now or later?" Gordo asked, taking another sip of his punch. He looked to his left, and found that Lizzie had strolled over to him as well. "Ah, we're all together, once again." 

"What is going on Gordo?" Lizzie asked. 

"Nothing." Gordo snapped. 

"Liar." Miranda said accusingly. 

Lizzie nodded. "We know you Gordo, and you are obviously having a problem, tell us." 

Gordo sighed. "Fine. I didn't want to make a scene, but really, do you guys ever think about me? When you two are rambling on about how cute this guy is and how cute that guy is and how totally awesome it would be to double date, do you guys ever wonder about me? How I feel all about this? I'm not a girl, as you can see. And I have had to deal with this since day one, my best friends are girls and I just might as well be one of them. Because that is what I am, you know. One of the girls. I'm Gordo, the guy who really isn't a guy. And I've told myself a million times, it doesn't bother me. But you know what, it DOES bother me. I'm a guy!" Gordo said, he then groaned. "I'm a GUY!" Gordo screamed. "Male. Pig, whatever you may call us GUYS, and yeah shock to the world, but I'm one of them. I have romantic implications, just like the rest of you. But does it matter? No. It doesn't matter because I'm Gordo, just one of the girls. Maybe it didn't bother me so much in junior high, but it fully bothers me now. I have other friends besides you two, and they are always asking me what the deal is with you two, why am I actually sitting through your guys whole ongoings about how cute the guy at the mall was, and I don't know! I don't know!" Gordo said, walking away. 

Lizzie and Miranda looked at each other, before following Gordo out of the party and outside on the patio. 

"I'm a guy!" Gordo screamed behind him, knowing Lizzie and Miranda were not that far away. "And yet I'm not treated like one, when I'm with you two. I'm just Gordo when I'm with you guys. Well you know, some people think that "Gordo" is cool! That he is worth something. Carly thought that too, Carly thought I was good, I was interesting, I'm not with Carly anymore. And that is probably the most horrible mistake I made of my life. I finally found a girl that liked me and I broke up with her, to be with you two. Which, Lizzie I hardly see you. Because you're on some mission, some mission to find the love of your life before senior year ends. Love doesn't happen that way Lizzie, love hits you when it hits you. But you're so busy trying to force love, that you've forgotten all about me. I needed you, you know? I needed your friendship when me and Carly broke up, and you were nowhere to be found. And you Miranda, I just need ... I don't know, I just don't know ... but what I need is NOT this!" Gordo exclaimed angrily and emotionally. 

"I'm sorry Gordo!" Lizzie exclaimed. "High School is hard, and I have to admit, I've gotten lost in it but come on ... " 

"That's not it!" Gordo said loudly, turning around. "It's so much more, something you two just don't get." 

"Explain it to us." Miranda said, staring into Gordo's eyes, and found her heart breaking at the look she saw in them. She had always been able to look Gordo in the eyes and be mesmirized at what she saw there, but right now she was hurting. Because the look in his eyes told of pure anger and frustration, and she was a part of it, a big part of it. _I didn't even like the guy._

"Explain it?" Gordo asked, sighing. "I can't. I'm sick of it. We're not even close as we all used to be, and yet I'm still just one of the girls. When is it going to take for you guys to realize I'm more than that? Just because I don't look like Ethan Craft, I'm ignored? Is that it? I'm frustrated and angry, because you guys just don't see me!" Gordo yelled, wailing his arms around. 

"I see you!" Miranda exclaimed. 

"WE see you." Lizzie forced her words. "I'm sorry that we, I, haven't been there. Look, why don't we all just hang out tonight? Forget my stupid love thing, it can just be the three of us, like it's alway the three of us. Will that make you feel better?" Lizzie asked. 

"No, you guys don't see me at all." Gordo exclaimed. "I gotta jet." 

"Gordo." Miranda said, trying to grab Gordo's arm, but only to be gently pushed away. 

Gordo opened his mouth to say something, but instead just turned on his heels and stalked off. He needed time to think, think about everything. His outburst. His jealousy on how Miranda was dating some new guy. Jealousy. That was just what he needed. As if his life wasn't complicated enough, he could add 'jealousy' to his list of emotions. _Just jet out of there and don't look back._

And that was what Gordo doing, for now. 

*** 

"He won't answer his phone," Lizzie stated into the phone. "I called him like four times, since I got home. I know he's home, he's doing that whole ignoring us thing. I feel really bad. He's right. I've been preoccupied about me and wanting to find love, I haven't even thought our friendship, all three of us. I wasn't there for him when the relationship between him and Carly broke up. I should have been there. I've always been there for Gordo, and I haven't been recently, how did he take it?" Lizzie asked. 

Miranda twirled the phone cord between her fingers. "Bad, he said he had been so close in falling in love with her. I think Gordo is afraid of love, because I can't possibly think of another reason as in why he would break up with Carly. I've never seen him so down, it actually scared me. It scared me to see Gordo so sad, I hate seeing him like that, you know?" Miranda asked. 

"Yeah, I definitely know what you mean." Lizzie agreed. "He was so mad today." 

"I have never seen him like that. He was fuming." Miranda said, sighing. "I hate it, that he's not talking to us." 

"I wish he wouldn't do this, be like this. I know he's mad, and yeah, maybe for good reason ... not great reason, but he shouldn't ignore the whole thing. I swear, lately Gordo's different. We're not the only ones that have changed, he's changed too." 

"Yeah, change is needed." Miranda said. 

"Yeah, but it's just weird seeing Gordo change." Lizzie said in a soft tone. 

"Not as weird as you would think." Miranda said in an even softer tone. "Want to know something?" Miranda asked. 

"Sure, shoot." 

"I think I'm falling for Gordo." Miranda confessed. 

Lizzie gasped on her side of the phone, and couldn't find anything to say. _Miranda's falling for Gordo? Twilight zone ..._

*** 

Gordo threw a small red ball up and down, as he laid down on his bed. He had the offer to hang out with Trevor for the night, but actually was happy that he refused to. Gordo was in one of his contemplative moods, and he was no fun to be around when he was like this. His phone had been ringing off the hook all night, luckily his mom and dad were out of the house for the night, so the ringing wouldn't be bothering them. But it sure was bothering him. He knew who was exactly calling him, and right now he didn't want to talk to either of them. Sure that sounded mean, but he was angry right now. Angry for pretty much no reason whatsoever. This had never bugged him before, he had dealt with it, no big deal, but now he was very mad, pissy, the list goes on. 

And all Gordo could think about was that this all seemed to develop from the fact that Miranda might be throwing herself back in dating. And right now and even before, he kept telling himself, it doesn't bother him. Go Miranda, enter dating, he was just fine with it. There was nothing about Miranda dating someone else that bothered him. Or at least he thought so. But now he was contemplative again. If this didn't bother him, then why in the world had he blown up on Miranda and Lizzie? 

_Inner rage kept in too for long, that's it, _Gordo said to himsef, as he continued to throw the little ball around. He grasped onto the ball, harder each time it landed in his hand. His eyes were narrowed, as the ball went up and down. Gordo stopped throwing the ball up and down and threw it down to the ground harshly. Okay maybe he was bothered a little about Miranda dating. Just a little. Isn't that what best friends are supposed to feel like? A little bothered? Just a little? Because you know, he felt as if she was ditching him. Like Lizzie had been doing. It was perfectly logical. It DIDN'T mean he was in love with Miranda, he WASN'T! 

She was just his friend, best friend, and that was all. It didn't go beyond that, these feelings he was having were normal, best friend, fear of being ditched syndrome. They were perfectly NORMAL. He was *not* in love. It was illogical. Love between two best friends just screw everything up. He knew of this. And he wouldn't make the same mistake everyone else did. No he wouldn't. 

"GORDO!" Came a voice from outside of his window, throwing him out of his tracks. 

Gordo flipped over in his bed, and looked out of the window, he couldn't see who the person was, but all he could see was that someone was out on his front lawn and that it was pouring rain outside. Gordo pushed himself up and trampled downstairs. 

*** 

Gordo, once he got all the way downstairs, unlocked the door, that his parents made him lock, and stepped back because of the rain, whooshing in the minute he opened the door. Once he was used to the feeling of the harsh wind and rain, he stepped back in front of the door to see who in the world was crazy enough to come over in this sort of storm. Once he saw who it was, his eyes softened. She came. To talk to him. Wow. "Miranda? What in the world are you doing?" Gordo asked shocked. 

"I need to talk to you." Miranda said, shivering. 

"Come in." Gordo said, rushing Miranda inside of his house, he shut the door behind her and locked it. "You're soaking wet, let me get you some clothes to change into, follow me." Gordo said, jogging up the stairs, Miranda shortly behind him. Gordo entered his bedroom and grabbed a shirt and some sweat pants and handed them to Miranda and pointed towards the bathroom. 

Miranda nodded and walked into the bathroom. 

Gordo rubbed his forehead and plopped down on his bed, trying to get ready for the outburst Miranda would have. He got ready for her saying some rubbish in Spanish, which he probably wouldn't understand. Gordo looked up when the bathroom door opened, he somewhat smiled at Miranda, when she walked further into his room, he shivered at the thought at how beautiful she was in his clothes. _No, do NOT think that, _Gordo yelled at himself. "You could have caught a cold, you know." 

"I needed to talk to you, and you weren't answering your phone." Miranda said accusingly, she strided over to Gordo's bed. 

"What did you need to talk about?" Gordo asked, not even commenting on the phone bit. 

"I've never seen you mad, not like you were today at Chico's birthday." Miranda said, a frown painted on her face. "Gordo, you're not just one of the girls, not to me, and definitely not to Lizzie. You've got it all wrong, you're being defensive and stupid." 

"You came all the way to my house in the rain storm, to call me stupid? Well thanks Miranda." Gordo snapped. 

"No listen!" Miranda exclaimed, cutting Gordo off. "You're something special Gordo, don't you know that? Everyone who ever says differently is stupid, and they don't know you like I do. You're special and cool and funny and smart, and everything a girl should want in a guy. The reason girls don't look at you, because you're too good for them. They know this, and if they don't, believe me, I can make sure they know. You're great and it's hard not to look at you, it's hard not to think about you. You were there for me during the Trevor thing, you let me cry on your shoulder, you didn't call me stupid for falling for Trevor, you have always been there. I wish I could have been there for you to make up all of the times you've helped me. Sure I've been there once or twice for you, but nothing like you've done for me. And especially in this past year, I've seen you in a whole different light Gordo." Miranda said. 

Gordo swallowed hard. "Y-yeah?" He asked. 

"Yeah." Miranda said, biting down on her lip. 

_Just do it, _Gordo told himself. Gordo swallowed hard again, he let out a shuddering sigh and then slowly leaned over and pressed his lips against Miranda's. First he could feel the shock, but then surprise of his own kicked in, when Miranda slowly started to kiss him back. Gordo inched closely, but not pulling away from the kiss; Gordo rested his hands on Miranda's waist and shivered when she placed her hands on each side of his face. Gordo slowly pulled away and stared at Miranda, a few seconds later, he dove back in for another kiss, wanting to feel his lips against Miranda's again ... he had no idea what was going on, but he liked it.   



End file.
